6 essential desert reads

"Arguably the first collection of lyrical essay writing about the California desert, Austin drew on her travels through the Owens Valley and environs, covering mining, the Shoshone tribe, weather and water. The book is thrilling in Austin's close attention to details, from the grasses to rivers and hard-trod trails. Here, she writes, "it is possible to live with great zest, to have red blood and delicate joys.""

"Chronicling his stint in Utah's Arches National Park in the late '50s, Abbey's bestselling memoir revealed the beauty and fragility of the Southwest to a wider American audience, depicting the punishing weather and awe-inspiring vistas while thundering against the masses of lookie-loos driving into the desert only to despoil it. It's often likened to "Walden," but Abbey's flinty, darkly humorous voice gave Western literature a tone distinct from East Coast gentility and folksy cowboy writing."

"Part handbook, part folklore collection, part tribute to the Southwest, Layne's entertaining chronicle is built on brief chapters about the outlaws, writers, singers and other characters who define the region's hardy reputation, from the path of Western swing musicians from Texas to L.A. to UFO conspiracists who convene in New Mexico, the Manson family's trek to Death Valley, and beyond."

The desert contains rich, wild, and complex landscapes rather than simple barrenness. Winter months offer the best time to travel to the desert, though reading desert-centered books remains timeless. Lyrical essays recount travels through the Owens Valley and examine mining, the Shoshone tribe, weather, water, grasses, rivers, and hard-trod trails with close attention to detail. A memoir set in Utah's Arches National Park conveys punishing weather and awe-inspiring vistas while criticizing mass tourism that despoils the landscape. A combined handbook and folklore chronicle presents brief chapters on outlaws, writers, singers, Western swing musicians, UFO conspiracists, and the Manson family's Death Valley trek. A lavishly illustrated field guide focuses on arid regional natural history.

Read at Los Angeles Times